I was talking to a guy recently, and honestly, things were going pretty well. He was cute, remembered things about me from one conversation (low bar?), and we were making plans for our first date. That is, until he dropped the ultimate bomb on me: he had voted for Trump in 2024.
But no worries! He told me, “TBH, I’m not really into politics at all.”
Not into politics? What does that even mean? It means he is unwilling to think about or prioritize anyone other than himself.
Of course, everything is political. Universities, for example, rely on federal funding, and most students take on some sort of federal student loan. Local, state, and federal governments manage things like public transportation, public parks, and public lands. UN experts report that climate change is perhaps the greatest threat to humanity. According to a 2025 commentary published in the Environmental Epidemiology Journal, fossil gas emissions (which increase pollution and decrease air quality) lead to increased rates of asthma and premature mortality. Government action is necessary to set large-scale limits and fund alternative energy solutions. The list goes on and on.
Unfortunately, some don’t think most of the issues we face are political, while others are not so lucky.
According to the White House, the Trump administration has deported over 605,000 people. That’s not just an (absurdly large) number. Each is a real person with real lives, families, and homes rooted in American soil. The threat of I.C.E. detention and deportation (and, in some cases, related deaths) has left and continues to leave many others in a constant state of fear, even those who are legal citizens and children.
This is just one group that President Trump has attacked. Reports indicate that he has also attacked the LGBTQ+ community, low-income families and those receiving SNAP benefits, DEI programs, women’s right to choose, government employees, the education system, public health officials, and so many more deal with attacks from Trump. These are the systems guy-who-will-not-be-named supported with his careless vote.
But yes, totally, I’m so glad you didn’t put any thought into your vote. What an incredible privilege, I thought to myself in my most sarcastic voice.
Almost every American citizen has the right to vote. But that doesn’t mean every American citizen votes.
The rich, the old, and the educated are most likely to vote. It’s no surprise that these people also tend to have the time and flexibility to do so. Language barriers keep many people — particularly Hispanic and Asian-American voters— from participating. Hourly workers may not want to take off work. Others may not have access to childcare. This is also why having the option to vote by mail is important!
And yet, there is a subset of highly privileged voters (who the system has quite literally been designed for) who are either not voting or not doing their research before voting. Let’s please use our privilege for good.
I understand that most candidates (and people) are flawed. But I refuse to compromise on protecting human rights.
To me, there was only one right answer during the 2024 election.
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